The next Xbox will be one big Live! machine

It's inevitable that Live! will be a part of the Xbox 360. But according to this piece it looks like it will be as integral to the unit as the GPU. Gamespy continues their coverage of the next Microsoft console, with a look at how Live! is going to be integrated into the tiny silver/round-edged/spherical/whatever console. The gamer's profile will play a key role in how the machine behaves, online and offline. The "Game Card", a collection of your stats and preferences, will let the console start up as you want it, as well as hook you up with like-minded gamers.

The service will actually be built-in to the hardware, and it will include:

# Friends management

# Access to recent players

# Message center

# Game invite management

# User notifications

# Gamer profile

# One-on-one voice chat

# Downloads

# Feedback

# Sign-in

Of course, this means that the pressure will be on for you to subscribe to the service, making ownership of a game console that much more like owning a car. When will they start selling insurance for these things?

[thanks maneatingcow!]